Sunday, September 17, 2006

Global Day for Darfur - A Prayer

In a statement today, Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said "as we pray for Darfur today, we are all under judgment in how we exercise the power we have, whether it is great or small." In his prayer, he said:

"Heavenly Father, we pray for those whose lives are lived on the margins of nations and suffer from the wars that others fight around them. We pray for the warring factions, that they may see themselves under the gaze of God and those who suffer for their cause.

"We pray for the peoples of Darfur who are haunted by fear of violence, hunger and hopelessness, that they may continue to be fed, visited and defended. We pray for the work of peacekeepers, negotiators and the humanitarian organizations that security may prevail.

"We pray for the government of Sudan and for her unity. We pray for peace in the name of him who is the prince of peace, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

Photo: African sunset. Taken by Sudanese photographer Vit Hassan from ship, during his journey to southern Sudan.- - -

Sudan leader says doesn't want UN force in Darfur

Today, Sudanese President al-Bashir said at a news conference during the Non-Aligned Summit in Cuba:

"We don't want the United Nations back to Sudan no matter the conditions. We have met with Kofi Annan and we have clarified in detail that we reject the decision of the Security Council."

Bashir said Sudan had forged close trading links with Pakistan, India, China and Malaysia and was in a position to survive any sanctions against it. He also praised Cuba for having lived through more than 40 years of US sanctions.

More than 1,000 volunteer fighters from Sudan's Popular Defense Forces rallied in Khartoum on Saturday vowing to treat any UN force in Darfur as an invading army that would be in a state of war with Sudan.

The volunteers, from Sudan's official PDF militia, danced to nationalistic folk music and chanted "God is Greatest." Some wore masks over their faces, while others wore military-style fatigues.

"We consider any army that enters Sudan as an invading army, even if the order was from the United Nations," Ahmed Bilal Osman, a presidential adviser, told the crowd of PDF volunteers.

"Any country that takes part in this invasion force will enter into a state of war with Sudan."

"We say to any Western country that comes to Sudan that this will be its graveyard," said Abdullah Mohammed Ali, a 30-year-old PDF volunteer dressed in a green uniform.

"We can solve our problems by ourselves, and we think any intervention is to control Sudan. We will defend against it."

Rebels have accused the PDF, a paramilitary force used to reinforce the armed forces during times of war, of being behind some atrocities in Darfur. The Sudanese army denies they are involved in any wrong-doing.

The PDF volunteers, who came to the rally at the Popular Defense Forces Khartoum headquarters unarmed, included veiled women and older men, and organisers said some had travelled from across the country to attend the rally in the Sudanese capital.

Some at the rally waved Islamic prayer beads in their hands as they danced in the courtyard of the Popular Defense Forces Khartoum headquarters. Others waved 'V' for victory signs and chanted: "March, march, Bashir."

"This battle that they will open upon us, they shouldn't think that we will greet it in a regular war, or that we will wait for them to take up positions or entrench themselves," said Kamal al-Din Ibrahim, general coordinator of the PDF.

"We will determine the place of the war. We will determine the timing of the war," he said.

"We are prepared for any foreign force that enters Sudan," said Ahmed Aboul Qassem, a PDF volunteer at the rally. "We have more than one million ready and trained in all weaponry, even swords and knives."

The best thing the international community can do for Sudan is to support the Abuja peace deal on Darfur instead of planning for deploying international forces, Sudanese Foreign Minister Al-Samani Al-Wasila stressed Saturday.

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Yet another Gandhi quote

When I despair, I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they can seem invincible but in the end they always fall. Think on it. ..always.

1 Comments:

A friend noticed, finally, the cross that I wear yesterday. I've worn it for a month ever since a homeless woman offered it to me after may admiring comment. Why do you wear that?, he asked. Because I love this guy. I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing here in DC except for Him.

It is because of my Love for Jesus and what he Stood for that I share this comment.

I want to make a trade on behalf of our Darfur family. A trade with these Christians that offer their prayers. These Christians who would say that their Prayer is the most valuable thing possible.

LET ME MAKE A TRADE!!! I'll give you back the most valuable thing you could give, YOUR PRAYER, in return for what you give YOUR OWN FAMILY that is much LESS VALUABLE, YOUR LIFE/EFFORTS/EFFORT/COMMITMENT/PERFORMANCE....

Jay McGinleyDay 105 24/7 DC VIGIL for DARFUR; Day 35 HUNGER STRIKE (54 days so far this summer, with breaks); ARRESTED Sept 9th at White House with 29 others from Africa Action; http://www.standwithdarfurwhitehouseii.blogspot.com

Day 105 24/7 DC VIGIL for DARFUR; Day 35 HUNGER STRIKE (54 days so far this summer, with breaks); ARRESTED Sept 9th at White House with 29 others from Africa Action; http://www.standwithdarfurwhitehouseii.blogspot.com

THE ONLY HOPE FOR DARFUR: WE-THE-WORLD’S-PEOPLE. Duh.

It is said that the mark of truly being “crazy” is expecting different results from doing the same thing over and over and…. Ok, we needed to try some new approaches, hoping we could find a new formula for mass social change (stopping Genocide has NEVER been done); looking for an approach that would be comfortable, convenient, safe, executed from our computer terminal / phone / TV or office in some combination. The variations we’ve tried are: * Blame (Bush, UN, EU…) , * Emails, letters, postcards…,* Letting the Nonprofits do it, * Divestment. And the results are in. WE ARE NOT, STOPPING THE GENOCIDE!

You mean that the answer for Darfur is the same answer we found for…* Ending the Vietnam War, * Gaining Civil Rights in the US, * Gaining Women the right to Vote in the US, * Ending apartheid in South Africa, * Throwing off the British oppression at our start....?

“Violence will bring no victory. For the sake of the Darfur civilians, all parties to the conflict have to stop resorting to violence. This is the absolute priority.” - Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, 05 June 2009

"APPREHENSION" by Rob Rooker. Painted on a wall in Maridi, Sudan. The image is of a young Nuer boy looking up among a crowd of people. Click on image for more details. Cards & prints of Rob's paintings can be purchased online at Imagekind.com